Cult Films: First Look at 4K Restoration of The Ape Woman
HomeCult Films: First Look at 4K Restoration of The Ape Woman
Posted September 16, 2021 03:04 PM by Webmaster
British label Cult Films has provided us with a promotional trailer for its upcoming Blu-ray release of Marco Ferreri's film The Ape Woman (1964), starring Ugo Tognazzi, Annie Girardot, Achille Majeroni, and Filippo Pompa Marcelli. The release will be available for purchase on September 27.
Label description: The Ape Woman is the highest-praised film by Marco Ferreri, the over-the-top iconoclastic director known for La Grande Bouffe. His signature edgy exploration of the grotesque was revered by the Cannes Festival who awarded many of his works.
The film is inspired by a true story of the nihilistically cruel exploitation of a young carnival performer, Julia Pastrana, whose body was completely covered in hair.
She is brought to life here by an extraordinary Annie Girardot – France's highest-paid actress of the time – in a natural measured and elegant performance from which emanates the ambiguous emotion of being alluring yet devastatingly poignant as 'the ape woman'.
An unscrupulous hustler (a magnificent Ugo Tognazzi), discovers the young woman in a convent and marries her in order to get her on the freak-show circuit and cash in on the distinctive appearance of her body and face covered in hairs.
For this first-ever Blu-ray release, Cult Films is showing all versions of the film recently restored in 4K for the Venice Film Festival finally doing justice to the previously condemned film. First is Ferreri's own original edit now shown complete and uncut. And second is the Producer's longer, upbeat ending version which garnered a Palme D'or nomination at the 1964 Cannes Films Festival.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
Label description: The Ape Woman is the highest-praised film by Marco Ferreri, the over-the-top iconoclastic director known for La Grande Bouffe. His signature edgy exploration of the grotesque was revered by the Cannes Festival who awarded many of his works.
The film is inspired by a true story of the nihilistically cruel exploitation of a young carnival performer, Julia Pastrana, whose body was completely covered in hair.
She is brought to life here by an extraordinary Annie Girardot – France's highest-paid actress of the time – in a natural measured and elegant performance from which emanates the ambiguous emotion of being alluring yet devastatingly poignant as 'the ape woman'.
An unscrupulous hustler (a magnificent Ugo Tognazzi), discovers the young woman in a convent and marries her in order to get her on the freak-show circuit and cash in on the distinctive appearance of her body and face covered in hairs.
For this first-ever Blu-ray release, Cult Films is showing all versions of the film recently restored in 4K for the Venice Film Festival finally doing justice to the previously condemned film. First is Ferreri's own original edit now shown complete and uncut. And second is the Producer's longer, upbeat ending version which garnered a Palme D'or nomination at the 1964 Cannes Films Festival.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
- DIRECTOR'S CUT OF THE FILM
- THE PRODUCER'S LONGER VERSION OF THE FILM
- Documentary - an exclusive 90-minute documentary on Marco Ferreri with Gerard Depardieu, Philippe Noiret, Christophe Lambert, Ornella Muti etc.
